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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
The origin of la Cuvée Madame de Château Coutet dates back to Madame Rolland-Guy, owner and resident of Château Coutet between 1922 and 1977. During this period, the vineyard workers were in the habit of working unpaid for one day to pick the last remaining grapes from the property's two oldest parcels, whose berries were super-concentrated. The very small and exceptional cuvée was dedicated to Madame, Rolland-Guy. When produced during exceptional years, up to 1,200 bottles of the Cuvée Madame 1,200 are made.
The Cuvée Madame de Château Coutet is a marvel of concentration and complexity. Displaying a color between gold and amber, the wine first presents aromas of acacia, honey, apricot, quince jelly, pineapple and coconut. What follows are mineral notes; citrus and floral (white flowers). On the palate it allies density and elegance, all with a superb structure and aromatic finesse, with hints of candied figs, currants, peach, quince and spices. The fruit is lush, rich, velvety and dazzling. The finish is excellent, both fresh as well as persistent with a silky texture and a very nice balance.
The Baly family continues this tradition during the finest harvests. The superb Cuvée Madame de Château Coutet was made in 1981, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1997 and 2001 to succeed the memorable 1943, 1947, 1959, 1971 and 1975 vintages.
AOC: Barsac
Grape varieties:
100% Sémillon (berries selected from the estate’s two oldest plots of this varietal; the average age of those vines is 55 years)
Soil: Clay with a limestone sub-soil
Planting density: 7,500 plants per hectare (3,000 plants per acre)
Vineyard management: “Taille à Cot” (traditional Sauternes pruning) and rational cultivation
Harvest: By hands (successive passes, called tries)
Ageing: 36 months in French oak, 100% new
Viticulture
To produce this rare wine, berries from the estate's two oldest plots of sémillon are selected. The average age of those vines is 55 years.
Winemaking
A painstaking selection, each grape is picked one-by-one by hand. Further sorting takes place at the wine press and damaged grapes are eliminated immediately. The unfermented grape juice is quite rich, with 22 to 24 degrees of potential alcohol. A single, light pressing (at less than 180 kg/cm2) produces a clear, limpid juice.